The present invention relates to a novel and useful body conditioning device which may be worn as a weighted belt about the waist of the user.
Belts have been employed in many cases in the past to support the user and to carry items. U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,371, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 284,903, 338,997, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,560 show belt systems which are employed to carry items such as money, tape cassettes, firearms, and the like.
Other belt systems have been employed in the diving arts to hold weights which are necessary to achieve neutral buoyancy. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,808,824, 4,440,525, 4,732,305, and 5,076,575 describe diver weight belts which are employed to hold weights by looping a belt through the weight structure or by a series of pockets attached to a belt. U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,497 shows a belt system utilizing a series of rounded cylindrical weights which are looped on a belt that has a clasp at one end. The weights are movable along the belt and positioned by frictional engagement with the belt.
Exercising regularly is known to improve the musculature and cardiovascular aspects of the user. It is also important that correct spinal posture be maintained during exercise activities. Many lower back injuries result from improper exercising techniques and lack of leg strength. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,245 describes a surgical belt which is intended to relieve certain lower back pains. This patent includes a weighted pocket on the belt which is intended to lie above the sacral and coccygeal vertebrae of the user.
A body conditioning device worn about the waist which provides lower back support to the user and permits the distribution of weight in the forward and back positions would be a notable advance in the conditioning and exercising fields.